Konsa relishes Kane duel as Arsenal target first Champions League glory

Ezri Konsa has declared himself hungry for Champions League glory with Arsenal as the England centre-back prepares to face Harry Kane and Bayern Munich on Wednesday, having already established himself as one of the summer’s standout signings.

The 27-year-old joined Arsenal in the summer for £55m from Aston Villa, where he won the Europa League last season, and has wasted no time making an impression. Partnering Gabriel in the absence of the injured William Saliba, Konsa has been central to Arsenal keeping four clean sheets in their opening seven Premier League matches.

For Konsa, the move carries personal weight beyond football. A boyhood Arsenal fan who grew up wearing the club’s kits, he described the transfer as a dream realised — made even more meaningful by reuniting with close friends, including England teammate Eberechi Eze.

“When you’re a kid, you see the likes of Arsenal, growing up, and the amount of quality players they’ve had throughout the years — to be here, and not only to be here but to be here with close friends, makes it even more special,” Konsa said.

His performance in Sunday’s Premier League win over Nottingham Forest, highlighted by a crucial late challenge on Liam Delap, underlined why Mikel Arteta moved to sign him. Konsa was characteristically measured in assessing it.

“It’s a good tackle, but sometimes you get caught out of position and you have to recover and make that kind of tackle,” he said. “In hindsight, I could be in a better position to avoid those challenges, but it’s always nice when it pulls off.”

Konsa cited Arsenal’s defensive record as one of the reasons he chose to join the club, and he is determined to maintain those standards in Europe. “Everyone knows about Arsenal’s record last season and how good they are at keeping clean sheets. It’s something I wanted to continue — one of the reasons I joined. We’re doing all right so far, so long may it continue.”

With the Champions League trip to Bayern Munich next on the agenda, Konsa is relishing the prospect of testing himself against Kane, who has been in prolific form in the Bundesliga.

“As a centre-back, I look forward to playing against the best,” he said. “I relish those challenges.”